With the proliferation of high quality video, an increasing number of electronics devices (e.g., consumer electronic devices) utilize high-definition (HD) video which can require multiple gigabits per second (Gbps) in bandwidth for transmission. As such, when transmitting such HD video between devices, conventional transmission approaches compress the HD video to a fraction of its size to lower the required transmission bandwidth. The compressed video is then decompressed for consumption. However, with each compression and subsequent decompression of the video data, some video information can be lost and the picture quality can be reduced.
The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) specification allows transfer of uncompressed HD signals between devices via a cable. While consumer electronics makers are beginning to offer HDMI-compatible equipment, there is not yet a suitable wireless (e.g., radio frequency) technology that is capable of transmitting uncompressed HD video signals.
The OSI standard provides a seven-layered hierarchy between an end user and a physical device through which different systems can communicate. Each layer is responsible for different tasks, and the OSI standard specifies the interaction between layers, as well as between devices complying with the standard. The OSI standard includes a physical layer, a data link layer, a network layer, a transport layer, a session layer, a presentation layer and an application layer. The IEEE 802 standard provides a three-layered architecture for local networks that approximate the physical layer, and the data link layer of the OSI standard. The three-layered architecture in the IEEE 802 standard 200 includes a physical (PHY) layer, a Media Access Control (MAC) layer and a logical link control (LLC) layer. The PHY layer operates as that in the OSI standard. The MAC and LLC layers share the functions of the data link layer in the OSI standard. The LLC layer places data into frames that can be communicated at the PHY layer, and the MAC layer manages communication over the data link, sending data frames and receiving acknowledgement (ACK) frames. Together the MAC and LLC layers are responsible for error checking as well as retransmission of frames that are not received and acknowledged.
Wireless local area networks (WLANs) as defined by the IEEE 802 standard and similar technologies can suffer interference issues when several devices are connected which do not have the bandwidth to carry the uncompressed HD signal, and do not provide an air interface with enough bandwidth to transmit uncompressed video over 60 GHz band. The IEEE 802.15.3 specifies channel access methods for transmission of audio/visual information over Wireless personal area networks (WPANs). However, in IEEE 802.15.3, channel access control is complicated and is only for access to a single channel. In addition, in IEEE 802.15.3, channel time allocation description carried in a beacon is limited to one channel time block in a superframe for one compressed A/V stream. However, for an uncompressed video stream, multiple channel time blocks in one superframe are needed to fulfill the delay and buffer requirements. There is, therefore, a need for a method and system for establishing a channel and channel control in wireless communication networks which address the above shortcomings.